Category: Editorial

With the October international break now into its second week, Blues fans are still none the wiser as to when the independent disciplinary panel will meet to decide the punishment Birmingham City will face for breaking “Profit and Sustainability” rules.

It’s safe to say the EFL are not the most popular people with Blues fans right now, judging by social media. I’ve seen everything from calls for the EFL to explain the constraints they have placed against Birmingham City to demands for the Blues Trust to hold the EFL to account.

Yesterday, I broke news about issues within Birmingham that have caused the club to be subject to a transfer embargo by the EFL, along with the decision of the league not to register Kristian Pedersen as a player. There was a lot of attention to that post and a lot of questions, and with that in mind I have put together this article to explain as best as I can what is happening.

Further evidence of financial meltdown swirling around B6 became further apparent today after news broke of an unpaid tax bill. According to various reports £4.2million was owed to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, with the taxman threatening a winding up order if payment is not made within seven days.

Once again, Birmingham City enter the last game of a season unsure of which division they will spend the next season in. While the situation is not quite as desperate as it has been in previous seasons, defeat to Fulham could ensure Blues go down to the third tier for the first time since the 1994/5 season.

As a Birmingham City fan I should feel excited that it’s “game day” – particularly as a Blues fan based abroad knowing that I’m going to be able to watch the match on TV. Yet right now I can’t help but feel doom and gloom at another potential horror show.

The international break is normally a period of slow news as far as Birmingham City are concerned. While a few players will be away representing their country, there isn’t much else going on. For those of who write about the club, it’s a time of scratching around looking for stories.

Birmingham City slipped to their ninth league defeat of the season against Brentford on Wednesday night. A 2-0 defeat ensured that Blues hover just above the relegation zone and remain as the division’s lowest scorers.

It’s safe to say that September could have been a better month. A humiliating 6-1 defeat at Hull City left Blues in 22nd place in the table and new boss Steve Cotterill facing some tough questions at his first press conference on Monday.